


And Hast Thou Slain The Jabberwock?

by Spillingvelvet



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-19
Updated: 2010-01-19
Packaged: 2017-10-06 11:53:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/53390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spillingvelvet/pseuds/Spillingvelvet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>scritched itself out of my head, oddly enough, whilst watching the godfather.  o.O  all capitalization is purposeful.  beta by the beautiful <a href="http://libitina.livejournal.com/profile"><img/></a><a href="http://libitina.livejournal.com/"><b>libitina</b></a></p>
    </blockquote>





	And Hast Thou Slain The Jabberwock?

**Author's Note:**

> scritched itself out of my head, oddly enough, whilst watching the godfather. o.O all capitalization is purposeful. beta by the beautiful [](http://libitina.livejournal.com/profile)[**libitina**](http://libitina.livejournal.com/)

he's sloppy when he comes home and he's too desperate to care. he doesn't see the raven. he doesn't notice the open window until the door is closed and the bolt thrown. an owl hoots outside, and then he can feel her presence in the room.

'hello, dearest,' bellatrix murmurs and steps out from the dark corner, moonlight falling across her face and hair. he turns and drops a cloth sack he's holding, glass breaking inside. his eyes dart around the chamber, resting on his broom, the window, the floo.

'it's too late for that, darling,' she crosses the room and pats him on the shoulder, staying close when he cringes back. she pulls a bottle from within her robes, green liquid shimmering. 'do you know why i'm here, cousin?'

he nods, eyes riveted to the bottle.

'why am i here, regulus?' she pulls the cork out with a quiet pop and conjures a glass to pour the potion into.

he remains silent, fingers twitching. his jaw is clenched, eyes wild.

'you missed the meeting tonight, dear. and last week as well.' her eyes glitter, face mostly in shadow. his eyelids flutter closed.

'regulus,' she bends low and whispers in his ear, 'you're going tell me where you've been, and then you're going to drink this.'

he shakes his head, starting to breathe deeply through his nose, and opens his eyes.

'yes you will. because i think you've betrayed Him, regulus. i think you've betrayed us all,' she crooks her finger and a stool slides across the floor. she sits carefully, arranging her crimson skirt on her knees, the full glass held carefully in her pale hand. 'tell me what you have done, and your soul could be free.'

regulus stills at the words and she narrows her eyes, fixing on his shaking hands and the bag at his feet, now oozing purple liquid.

'you know!' she breathes, rocking forward on the stool, wand out and hand extended. regulus steadies visibly, his face going smooth. he takes the glass from her hand before she can withdraw it and throws his head back, swallowing the potion.

he laughs, coughing into a handkerchief with a grimace. 'yes, _darling_, i know.' he throws the glass into the fireplace and falls to his knees coughing.

'what have you done, you foolish boy?'

'what kind of traitor would i be, bella?' he croaks, 'if i gave myself away so easily?'

she stands, kicking the stool aside. 'tell me!' she screams as she advances on him. his coughing intensifies, and blood erupts from between his lips. it's thick and dark, dribbling down his chin and neck, soaking into his shirt collar. he wipes at his chin with the back of his arm and stares at the pitch stain blooming on his sleeve.

'Black through and through,' he hacks out a laugh, falling to his hands and knees. He chokes out mouthfuls of bile and blood and then retches crimson vomit onto the stone floor. bellatrix kicks him once in the chest, sneering at the dull crunch of his ribs. he's on his back now, arms wide, face calm.

She crouches and looks inside the bag, finding a broken vial plastered with fairy wings of the same violent purple oozing out. she pulls out a dripping dragon claw on a leather thong.

'pathetic boy carrying his pathetic charms,' she spits and stands, dropping the talisman into the bag and the bag between his sprawled legs.

she falls to her knees suddenly, and shouts into his passive face, 'did you think you mattered at all?' her voice shrill and ear-splitting, 'did you think that you could outsmart Him?' she rises and kicks him again, screaming in frustration. his lifeless body shifts across the floor, bones shattering under her feet. outside, a flock of bats takes flight from the tree in the courtyard.

a raven swoops through the open window and lands on her shoulder. she falls quiet again and straightens her hair. the bird shrieks once and she nods, turning and ducking out the door. she pauses in the street, glances over her shoulder, and blows a kiss into the air. a fiery butterfly darts from her mouth and alights on the windowsill, wings crackling open wide once before disappearing inside.

orange light flickers from within the small house. the curtains melt, falling to the floor and the panes shatter.

'through and through.' she mumbles and continues down the lane.


End file.
